Harness supporting and display rack.



Patented Nov. I8, I902.

A. H. CONN. HARNESS SUPPORTING AND DISPLAY RACK (Applicatinn fiietl Feb. 5. 1902.3

2 Sheets Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 7l3,75l. Patented Nov. 18, I902.

A. CONN. HARNESS SUPPORTING AND DISPLAY RACK (Application filed. Feb. 5, 1902.)

2 Sheats-$heet 2.

[No Model.)

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Farnr ANDREW II. CONN, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

HARNESS SUPPORTING AND DISPLAY RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,751, dated November 18, 1902.

Application filed February 5, 1902. Serial No. 92,651. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. CONN a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar harness may be supported in such a manner as to be effectually displayed without removal from the rack. YVhile this is the generic object of the invention, yet other objects are sought to be obtained by my improved rack, principally that of constructing the rack with but minor changes, so as the same may be adapted for supporting and displaying single or double sets of harness, another object being to provide supports for the harness at different parts thereof, so that not only is the harness displayed when upon the rack, but the weight of the harness is so distributed that the same is not at any one point, preventing any damage to fine leather by reason of the entire weight of the harness being suspended from one point thereof.

To this end the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrange ment, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, and then particularly pointed out in the claims, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,,and wherein like numerals of reference will be employed to designate like parts throughout the different views, in which- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of my improved rack as constructed for hanging heavy single or double harness, showing in dotted lines the manner in which the harness is supported and displayed. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of a spreader which is detachable from the hanger and may be advantageously used in connection with hauleharness. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rack as constructed for hanging single I harness, showing the latter in their supported position in. dotted lines.

In practice the rack is generally constructed from suitable wire or wire rod of a suitable size or number, the racks adapted for hanging and displaying heavy harness being generally constructed of a wire rod that is heavier than that employed forconstructing the racks employed for displaying the lighter sets of harness. In either form of rack there is employed a hanger-form 1, Fig. 1, comprising two strands of wire or wire rod, to which a suitable bowed form is imparted by bending the wires. Near their ends the two strands are twisted together, as at 2, and the ends are given return-bends toward each other to form receiving-loops 3.

Each of the strands of the hanger-form 1 is provided with eyes 4 for the reception of arms 5 of the hangers 6. These hangers are each formed from a single strand of wire or wire rod, the same at the upper end, and being drawn together to form loops 7. The arms 5 are formed by bending the two strands toward each other until they meet, after which the strands are extended downwardly in a vertical manner in parallel alinement, as at 8, the ends thereof spread apart, as at 9, and then bent outwardly at right angles and then upwardly to form hooks 9. In hanging sets of double harness these depending hanger-arms 8 having the hook ends 9 form the supports for the bridles, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the head-strap of the bridle being engaged over one hook of each arm, as shown. The spread portions of the arms are prefer ably bound by tie-rods 9, the portions 8 being tied at 8, as shown. Depending from the arms 5 of the hangers are small hook-arms 10two being suspended from each arm 5-- these arms 10 being adapted for engagement with the turret-rings of the saddles of the barness, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The two hangers 6 are preferably connected together by a tie-rod 11, and the hanger-form and hangers just described are suspended from a supplemental hanger 12, which is constructed from a single strand of wire or wire rod doubled upon itself, each of the arms or legs thereof having books 14 at their lower end for engagement in the loops 7. At the upper end the two strands of wire are twisted together and formed with an eye or loop 15,

played to view from all sides, though of course the hanger may be suspended from any suitable place. The twisted portion 16 of this supplemental hanger has inserted therethrough and rigidly holds therein a crosshead 17, upon which the collars and hames may be advantageously supported,asis shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the traces which are connected to the hames being inserted within the loops 3 of the hangerform. It will be apparent from the drawings that when the harness is suspended in this manner the same is distributed or spread over the supporting-rack in such a manner that all parts of the same may be displayed to viewwithout removal from the rack. The two strands of the hanger-form 1 are preferably connected together intermediate their ends by a cross-brace 18, formed with an eye intermediate its ends, and from this depends a hanger-arm that is preferably made in a series of sections linked together. This hanger-arm 19 carries a hook 20 on its lower end, which may be engaged with any portion desired of the depending harness, and as the arm is made in sections it may be looped around portions of the harness, if desired, and the book 20 engaged with some portion of the hanger-rack, so as to hold up certain portions of the harness.

In Fig. 2 I show a hame-spreader which may be advantageously employed in connection with the hanging of heavy harness. This spreader 21 is made from a single piece of wire or wire rod bent into the form of a rectangular open frame, which is given the desired bow or curve, each side rod thereof'being provided intermediate its ends with an eye 22, formed by looping the wire. These eyes are adapted to receive the respective ends or arms of the cross-head 17. The ends of this spreader are preferably bent inwardly at one or more points, so as to form pockets 23 to receive the portions of the harness being supported across the spreader.

In Fig. 3 I show the display-rack constructed especially for supporting and displaying single sets of harness, and in this form of construction the hanger-form 1 is, like the hangerform 1, constructed from a single strand of wire or wire rod bent to form two parallel strands, these strands at the ends being doubled, so as to form the receivingloops 2' to receive certain portions of the barness. Each strand or arm of the hanger-form 1 is provided with eyes 3, 3, and 4:, the former eyes receiving arms 5 of the hangers 6. As in the construction for double harness two of these hangers 6 are provided, each made of a single strand of wire or wire rod, the upwardly-extending arms of which have eyes or hooks 7. After the arms 5' are passed through the eyes 3' the wire is then given a return-bend and passed through a link 8 and is then bent downwardly to form the depending arm 9", as at 10', and bent upwardly to form the hook ends 11. The links 8 are suspended from the arms 5 between the rear strand 1 and the upright portions of the hanger 6. The outwardly-extending portions 10 are looped intermediate the ends to form eyes 12, into which the upper ends of depending hanger-arms are connected, these hanger-arms 14, like the hanger-arm 19, being formed in sections linked together, and the lowermost section provided at its lower end with a book 15 to be engaged with the turret-rings of the saddle of the harness. The two strands of the hanger-form 1 are connected together by a tie-rod 16, and one of the eyes 4: has connected therewith a hangerarm 18,which, like the hanger-arm 14:,is made in sections linked together and has a hook 19' on its lower end. This hanger-arm 18 is preferably made longer than the arms 14, so as to be engaged with the driving-lines of the harness in the manner shown for the latter by dotted lines in this view. Connected to the eyes or hook ends 7 of the hangers 6' is a cross-bar 20,which may be provided intermediate its ends witha detent to cause the same to centrally engage with the supporting-hook. (Not shown.) This detent 21 engages with the hook or other support suspended from the ceiling or other place in the same manner as the loop or eye 15 engages such hook. The loops 2 in this form of construction,like the loops 3 in the other form, are open at the outside, so that parts of the harness may be inserted therein and held and yet be readily removed when desired. Depending from the cross-bar 22 of the loops 2 are hanger-arms 23, made of one piece of wire doubled upon itself to form two strands, the ends of which are pivotally connected to the cross bar or arm 22. Near the lower ends of these hangerarms the two strands of wire are twisted together, as at 24:, and the two strands at the lower end are bent upwardly to form the hook 25, with which the loops made in the shaftstraps are engaged, as shown by dotted lines of the drawings. The supporting-hooks 11 and 17 receive the head-strap of the bridle, as shown in dotted lines, and the hangerform receives the breast-strap, the neck-strap being engaged with the hook 17, as shown. It will of course be evident that the form shown in Fig. 1 may be suspended directly from the tie-rod 11 or that the form shown in Fig. 2 may be advantageously employed in connection with a supplemental hanger, such as 12, shown in connection with Fig. 1. WVhere the device is suspended from the ceiling, the use of this supplemental hanger 12 in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 1 would permit the displaying of the harness at a lower level, as will be readily apparent, and in its use in this manner the hook ends 14 of the hanger 12 would be engaged with the hooks or eyes 7.

It will be observed that with a rack of this construction the harness while being effectually supported is also so distributed over the supporting-rack as to be displayed to advantage, which is very desirable in saddlery stores and the like. It will also be observed that a rack of this form is exceedingly inexpensive to manufacture and extremely simple in its construction, and in practice,where it may be desired to construct the same for displaying a certain style or styles of harness, it may require such slight changes in construction as will come clearly within the scope of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction I have shown and described in detail. The connections between the hanger-arms and other parts being as a rule pivotal connections, the members may be readilyswung or moved so as to be engaged with different parts of the harness, as will be apparent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a harness supporting and display rack constructed entirely of wire rod and consisting of ahangerform embodying two bowed arms having open loops at the ends, each arm provided intermediate its ends with eyes, hangers secured in said eyes and extending above and below the hanger-form, the downwardly-extending portions of said hangers having hook ends and a central depending hanger formed of a plurality of link-sections connected together and having a hook at the lower end, substantially as described.

2. A harness supporting and display rack constructed of wire rod and embodying a bowed hanger-form provided at each end with open receiving-loops and intermediate its end with eyes, hangers connected to said eyes and extending above and below the hanger-form with hooks on their lower ends, a tie-rod connecting the hangers together at their upper ends, and a central depending hanger formed of a series of link-sections connected together with a hook on the lower end of the lowermost section, substantially as described.

3. A harness supporting and display rack embodying a bowed hanger-form provided with open receiving-loops at the ends and having eyes intermediate its ends, hangers secured in said eyes and extending above and below the hanger-form and provided with hooks on their lower ends, supporting-hooks suspended from the hanger-form, a central depending hanger formed of link-sections with a hook on the end of thelowermost section, a supplemental hanger adapted for con nection with the hangers extending above the hanger-form, and a cross-head carried by said supplemental hanger, substantially as shown and described.

4. A harness supporting and display rack embodyinga hanger-form comprising two parallel arms suitably bowed and provided with receiving-loops at the ends thereof, a pair of hangers connected to said hanger-form and extending above and below the same with hooks on their lower ends, the upper ends of said hangers constructed to receive hook ends of a supplemental hanger, in combination with the supplemental hanger, and a cross head carried by said hanger.

5. A harness supporting and display rack embodying a bowed hanger-form, a pair of hangers connected thereto and extending above and below the hanger form with hooks on their lower ends, a centrally-depending hanger formed in sections linked together, and having a hook on the lower end, a supplemental hanger adapted to be connected to the pair of hangers, a cross-head carried thereby and a spreader adapted to be sup ported on said cross-head, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREW H. CON N.

Witnesses:

CHAS. KUBIAS, EUGENE ALLEN. 

